OSLO, Nov 16 (Reuters) – At Oslo’s Viking Ship museum, a group of engineers has begun work to make sure a brand new dwelling being constructed nextdoor doesn’t show deadly for 3 vessels which have survived for a millennium or extra.
The brand new constructing is important to guard the picket ships, two of which date from the ninth century and the third from the tenth century, that are on the mercy of temperature adjustments and humidity within the present museum.
However the vibrations brought on by building are additionally a menace to ships so fragile their weight alone is sufficient to trigger them to crumble. The engineers are constructing metal girders round them to guard them through the upheaval.
“If we hold displaying them as they stand right this moment they are going to find yourself in items,” stated Haakon Gloerstad, director of the Museum of Cultural Historical past, which owns the Viking Ship Museum.
Looters stole a few of the artefacts from the three ships, named Oseberg, Gokstad and Tune after the locations the place they had been discovered. A lot survived, nevertheless, together with a wagon, textiles, sculptures of animal heads and three sleighs, that are distinctive.
“The Viking ships are wonders much like the pyramids in Egypt and Tutankhamen’s grave,” Gloerstad stated – and they’re are least as weak.
[1/6] The Oseberg ship is seen inside The Viking Ship Museum, in Oslo, Norway September 12, 2022. REUTERS/Victoria Klesty
Whereas the ships will probably be lifted of their protecting metallic casing, the sleighs are being moved on a rail observe, centimetre by centimetre, to a chamber for his or her security. It took 17 hours to maneuver the primary sleigh 70 metres (230 toes).
“This wooden is now extremely fragile: you may make crumbs out of it, it might simply disintegrate between your fingers,” stated head engineer David Hauer, who’s supervising the transfer after years of cautious planning.
The brand new museum will open in 2026, 100 years after the ships’ present dwelling was opened, in the end attracting ten occasions extra guests than it was designed for.
Till it closed in September final yr to permit preparation for the transfer, it obtained round 500,000 guests per yr.
In the meantime, Oslo’s vacationers are upset.
“We heard lots about it and had been actually wanting ahead to take a look at it,” U.S. vacationer Shalin Patel informed Reuters.
Enhancing by Gwladys Fouche and Barbara Lewis
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